Cleaning vinegar?

[justjunque]

While at the store to restock on cleaning supplies, I saw something new to me.
In the regular grocery aisle, I usually buy a store brand white vinegar by the gallon.
I like to use it in the dispenser instead of fabric softener for the rinse cycle.
It has an acidity of 5%.
The other day, in the aisle with cleaning products, I saw something called "cleaning vinegar", with an acidity of 6%.

Just wondering if anyone has used it.
It doesn't seem like much; but could the additional 1% acidity be harmful in any way...either to the machine or the laundry?
I bought the usual food grade vinegar, but I don't know if I should consider the other kind next time.

Thanks,
Barry

 

[petek]

I think it's just a marketing ploy , perhaps to grab more shelf space and/or increase the price.. Does it cost more per ounce?

 

[justjunque]

I never even looked at the price.
I was just kind of dumbfounded by there being a vinegar just for cleaning.
Next time I'm there, I'll notice the price.

Barry

 

[launderess]

Ohh, Yes!

Cleaning with vinegar is something quite common back in the old country, and has been for ages; long before chemicals came along.

Surig Essig Essenz is one, but there are others.

Cleaning vinegars usually are usually around 28% acidity, this compared to the 5% to 6% commonly sold in USA.

https://www.thekitchn.com/the-super-strong-cleaning-product-youve-never-heard-of-247011

https://www.amazon.com/Surig-Essig-Essence-Vinegar-14/dp/B00ZYYQ2EU

https://froschusa.com/products/frosch-vinegar-cleaner

 

[justjunque]

Launderess,

Wow. That's interesting!
I didn't even know there was 6% until just the other day.
I'm guessing the 6% acidity wouldn't be anything for me to worry that it's too strong if others are using 28%!

Barry

 

[iowabear]

Funny that you mentioned it, I just saw it for the first time today at a local grocery store.  It was stocked with the cleaning supplies instead of the usual area for vineger.  I thought it was ridiculous, but then I'm getting to the point where I think most things are ridiculous.

 

I was at Walmart last week and just wanted to buy my usual Glad tall kitchen trash bags that I've bought for ages.  There used to be the regular version and the "Fabreeze" version.  I've never bought anything but the regular unscented bags.

 

Now there was "Fresh Clean" scent, "Gain Original" scent, "Mediterranean Lavender" scent and finally (I am not making this up) "Hawaiian Aloha" scent...but no unscented ones.  So I just bought the cheap Walmart ones and hoped for the best.

 

[launderess]

There is a reason behind that maddness

Reason why American retailers have shied away from selling 28% or higher acidity grades of vinegar is that the stuff is *VERY* strong.

At 20% or 30% acetic acid (rest being water) you're talking about a strong acid with potential to harm. Normal household vinegar here is about 5% acetic acid to 95% water.

For ages commercial laundries, professional laundresses and even old household manuals advised skipping purchasing household vinegar in shops, but going to pure acetic acid sold by chemists. This would then be diluted down to proper strength as required.

https://www.dirtdoctor.com/garden/Vinegar-Uses-and-Misuses_vq2283.htm

Green Gobbler - Safer, Stronger Cleaning Products

Powerful cleaning products that work. Find surface cleaners, drain cleaners, septic tank treatment, vinegar weed killer, and more at Green Gobbler.

www.factorydirectchemicals.com

 

[foraloysius]

An acidity of 28% is indeed a very high concentration. It can burn the skin and damage some materials. Cleaning vinegar is 8% and very cheap. 39 Eurocents for a liter is what I pay for a store brand.

 

[mrboilwash]

The Surig spirits of vinegar Launderess metioned has been to be found in almost every German household for generations. Kind of what bleach is to the Americans.
I think it`s "only" 25 %, but this is still strong enough to kill you if ingested undiluted.

My Mother uses it for potato salad as we use oil and vinegar in south Germany instead of mayonnaise. She thinks with regular vinegar it would be too runny. I think her potato salad is too dry...
Then it`s popular for descaling all kinds of things like coffee makers because it`s cheap and effective. This is not a good idea if parts of the appliance are made of aluminum because it attacks it. Citric acid is the modern way to go, way more compatible and doesn`t stink up the place.

I remember my Grandmother would brush out cloths that required dry cleaning with a soft clothes brush that was dipped in diluted vinegar and then shaken off the excess.

The Frosch product from the other link is a soapy cleanser based on acetic acid (a vinegar cleanser, not a cleansing vinegar) for hard water stains in kitchens and bathrooms. Think it came on the market in the 80s when it was all the rage to be green. It quickly gained popularity and generics of it are dirt cheap. Find it very hard on hands (I hate rubber gloves) and can`t stand the smell of it, so I prefer other acidic cleansers for limescale.[this post was last edited: 11/4/2018-04:55]

 

[arbilab]

TWENTY EIGHT PERCENT??

How does one stay in the room (house) with that smell without self-contained breathing apparatus and teargas-proof goggles?  I've got 6% for deliming the fixtures and...... phew! 

 

Forget the exact numbers but yes 6% is substantially more expensive than 'regular'.  Maybe twice plus.  "Specialty" surcharge.  You could just boil some 5% and raise it to any % you wanted.   Evacuate children and pets first.  Yes, fish too.  <span style="font-size: 14pt;">BIG</span> stink.

 

[mrboilwash]

You`re not supposed to use Essigessenz full strength for most applications.
But it`s nice that you could if you wanted to. Just think of cleaning a toilet bowl in a hard water area in a time when commercial cleansers didn`t exist yet. Regular vinegar wouldn`t do much when diluted with all the water sitting in the drain.

 

[justjunque]

Thanks for the education!

I've learned something new!
I only just learned that 6% existed.
Funny how it seems like they don't feel that Americans could be trusted with anything stronger.

Jim:
Thank you for the laugh this morning.
Best of luck with the store brand trash bags!
Actually, the ones we buy are store/generic brand.
Granted, we don't tend to overstuff them, but we've never had a problem with them.
As for finding things ridiculous; I hate to say it, but I wonder if it's our age.
I'm a year older than you, and I find that I have a very low tolerance for a lot of things these days.
Maybe it's the first stages of being "old and set in our ways".
Nah...the world is truly just getting ridiculous.

Barry

 

[lorainfurniture]

Acetic acid.

I’ve handled the stuff in its pure form. My brother would run about a 10% solution through the food pipes at the factory to sterilize. He also would make some cleaner for this one company. About 5-7% , but I don’t really remember.

The only difference between cleaning vinegar and food vinegar is the pure stuff has a stamp that indicates it’s clean enough to be used in food product. Cleaning acetic acid is just as pure, just minus the rubber stamp.

You can’t get within 3 feet of the barrel without getting hit with the odor. It’s intense

 

[kb0nes]

I bought a 1/2 gallon jug at the local Menards not long ago for use in the laundry. Not sure what the concentration is but it seemed cheaper then the cooking stuff. Seems to smell more pungent so I bet it is stronger. "The worse it smells the better it works"

I have a pint of 99% Acetic acid I used to use in the darkroom, I should probably start diluting that and using it. Probably wouldn't use all of it in a lifetime!